SportsChannel New England Celtics analyst Tom Heinsohn
apologized Tuesday before the Bulls-Celtics game for
comments made on air last week about Hawks C Dikembe
Mutombo. Heinsohn, after Mutombo was taken out of Sunday's
game: "He is going back to Africa for the weekend. He's
going to hunt him a lion or two" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/13).
...ESPNET SportsZone's NCAA Men's Tournament Challenge
Presented by Pizza Hut and DoubleTree Hotels had attracted
more than 130,000 entries as of 3:00pm ET yesterday, ahead
of last year's final total of 105,000 (ESPN)....In Chicago,
George Lazarus notes to "look for" WMAQ-AM to end up with
the radio rights for the Blackhawks in a six-year deal.
WMVP-AM has had the games for the last five years, including
this year (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/13)....TCI will announce plans
today to increase the average monthly fees to more than $27
for about 9 million of its 14 million cable customers. The
fee will pay for a "typical package" of basic channels,
including CNN and ESPN (USA TODAY, 3/13). But in Denver,
Stephen Keating reports that TCI President Leo Hindery said
he will review the price increases, adding, "I think some of
the rates that are allowed can't go forward. They are
unacceptable" (DENVER POST, 3/13)....CBS Sports
VP/Programming Mike Aresco, on the challenges of offering
regional coverage of NCAA Men's Basketball tournament: "You
try to show games to areas of natural interest. ... Where
there isn't natural interest, you show the best game that's
the most competitive." Aresco adds the network has had "the
fewest requests for switches from our affiliates" this
tournament season (USA TODAY, 3/13)
